--- title: "Orange Is the New Black: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Orange Is the New Black (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 11 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous in their approval, and consistent about why. Most critics take Jenji Kohan’s women’s prison series to be a good deal more than its fish-out-of-water premise, and the praise gathers around the same two things: an ensemble of largely unfamiliar actors given room to become full characters, and a flashback structure that hands each of them a history. Several note that it balances comedy with something harder without letting either win, and that the humour is sharper and less pleased with itself than the setting suggests. Reservations are mild and few. Variety finds it messy and uneven in places, and Radio Times thinks the opening premise, a middle-class woman sent down, is the predictable part of an otherwise fresh show. The spread is narrow, running from warm to warmer, with nobody dissenting. The later notices, written after several series, treat it as a show that changed what television ensembles could look like. ## The AV Club — Emily St. James Rating A-. 9 July 2013. The series is a fully realized TV show that creates an involving prison world through rich, complicated characters and backstories. It excels at discovery and earnest storytelling rather than smug satire. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/orange-is-the-new-black-orange-is-the-new-black-1798177328) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2013. Jenji Kohan has crafted a surprisingly strong women’s prison drama that expertly balances humor and drama while embracing and subverting the cliches of the concept. The first episodes surprised and astounded with unpredictable laughs, serious moments, character backstories, and enormous potential. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/orange-is-new-black-tv-578162/) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2013. The critic calls the series a rewarding and unusual comedy-drama that explores power, privilege, the prison system, and multiple women's stories through an effective flashback structure. It singles out the depth of character portrayals and the serious tone attuned to human damage for praise over a standard fish-out-of-water premise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/07/tv-review-orange-is-the-new-black.html) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 April 2014. The series offers a more insightful look at prison life than its light-hearted tone suggests. It is smart, blackly comic and occasionally shocking. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/orange-new-black-review/) ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2013. The piece calls the series Netflix's strongest original to date, praising its fit to the binge format with episode arcs, sharp and acidly funny tone like an improved Weeds, and strong adaptation of the memoir into a prison dramedy. It singles out the gradual character adaptation and ensemble for praise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/2013/07/in-women-in-prison-dramedy-orange-is-the-new-black-netflix-has-its-strongest-original-series-to-date/) ## Radio Times — Sarah Carson Rating 8.0/10. The show opens with a predictable premise about a middle-class woman in prison but is heralded for its strong female cast and revolutionary treatment of the subject. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-4g9p1o/orange-is-the-new-black/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2013. The critic finds the early episodes of the Netflix prison drama funny and fresh with sharp writing and acting, ticking all the right boxes as one of the best new shows of 2013. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/jul/30/watching-orange-is-the-new-black) ## The Telegraph Rating 4/5. 11 June 2015. The series continues to deliver a diverse ensemble of three-dimensional female characters in an absorbing return that proves it has barely scratched the surface of its fascinating cast. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/2016/06/06/orange-is-the-new-black-season-3-review-still-on-top-form/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2013. The Netflix series is a strong women-in-prison dramedy that resembles creator Jenji Kohan's previous show 'Weeds' more than 'Oz', with an interesting assortment of characters and narrative structure. It succeeds overall despite being messy and uneven at times, justifying Netflix's faith with its fertile mix of ingredients. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/digital/reviews/orange-is-the-new-black-review-netflix-1200504709/) ## Den of Geek — Chris Longo Rating 4/5. 11 July 2013. The review positions the series as more than a standard women's prison drama, highlighting its strong cast, unknown actors taking center stage, and effective use of flashbacks to reveal character backstories. It praises the storytelling potential and expresses enthusiasm for the show's continuation. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/orange-is-the-new-black-episode-1-i-wasnt-ready-review/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2019. The critic views the series as a landmark that helped redefine prestige television and streaming formats through its binge-friendly structure and diverse storytelling. She singles out its groundbreaking ensemble of female, queer, and marginalized characters for thrusting issues of representation into the cultural mainstream. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/07/24/tv/orange-is-the-new-black-legacy-final-season) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md